8 European destinations that are better in spring than summer

I'm a Goldilocks kind of traveler, which is to say I'm not a fan of weather that's too hot or too cold. But spring shoulder season in Europe? I can tell you that's just right.

In fact, for years I've planned family vacations, girlfriend getaways and couples trips during Europe's "shoulder season" of March, April and May, prior to the "high season" summer travel months. By traveling in this nonpeak season between the winter holidays and mobbed summer months, I beat the high-season crowds, skip the summer heat waves and usually get a great deal along the way.

Ready for a spring getaway? Here are some of my favorite spots for shoulder-season travel across Europe.

Paris

OK, I know that traveling to Paris in springtime isn't a new concept (there's even an "April in Paris" song). But that's for good reason. Streets are lined with cherry blossoms and other flowering trees, the Tuileries and other gardens are in full bloom, and the city sparkles with a certain je ne sais quoi.

Spring is also the perfect season to use the city as a launching point for exploring beyond the urban center. And I'm not talking about Versailles, which, as I discovered the hard way last spring, is packed no matter when you visit. Instead, head to Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, which predates and was actually the inspiration for Versailles. Just a quick 30 minutes from the city by train, the chateau reopens in mid-March, when the 100 acres of gardens and woodland spring into verdant greenery. My favorite time to visit: the candlelit evenings that begin in mid-May for a glorious night under the stars.

Another great day trip: Giverny. The sprawling gardens made famous by Monet reopen for the season April 1 and can be reached by train from Paris in about 45 minutes. Or hop down to Burgundy, less than a 90-minute train ride, for spring wine sipping and gourmet dining at Chateau la Commaraine, an iconic estate dating back to 1112 that's opening this March as a hotel and working winery and vineyard.

TPG tip: The new luxe Sax Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts makes it easier than ever to book a memorable points stay in the City of Light. Located in the 7th Arrondissement on the Left Bank, and not too far from the Eiffel Tower, Sax Paris is a converted 1899 building with 118 modern rooms and suites, multiple bars and restaurants, and even an outdoor swimming pool. Rates start at $442 or 110,000 Hilton Honors points per night this spring.

Related: The best hotels in Paris

Seville, Spain

Seville in summer is famously scorching. In spring, however, it's sublime. Orange blossoms perfume the air, outdoor plazas buzz late into the evening and daytime highs don't usually climb past the high 70s (in contrast, summer temperatures are typically well over 100). It's also festival season, with the Feria de Abril, April 21 to 26, celebrating Andalusian culture with flamenco, music, bullfights, fireworks and hundreds of stalls serving local cuisine.

And I can tell you from experience that iconic landmarks like the Alcazar and Seville Cathedral are far more enjoyable without oppressive heat or peak crowds. Add in tapas crawls and rooftop drinks with views over terracotta-topped buildings, and Seville delivers one of Europe's easiest-to-love shoulder-season getaways.

TPG tip: The Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Luxury Collection Hotel is a truly palatial accommodation commissioned by the king of Spain in 1929. There's incredible historic detailing here, including Moorish arches, scrollwork and Gothic detailing that mirrors the nearby Alcazar. Rates start at $525 or 119,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night in spring.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is probably the only destination on this list that might get a bit more active in the spring than summer, but there's a good reason: It's top tulip viewing season. The multihued blooms peak from mid-April to early May with fields bursting into color at nearby Keukenhof Gardens, about a 30-minute bus ride from the city's center. And Amsterdam itself embraces the first warm days of the year with locals filling outdoor cafes and the terraces along the canals.

Even with tulip fever taking hold, shoulder season has fewer crowds than the busy summer months, making it easier to explore the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank House without marathon waits. And spring is the perfect time for canal cruises and bike rides (my advice is to stick to the parks and leave the streets to the locals) when the city feels lively but not overwhelmed.

TPG tip: One of my favorite recent European stays was at The College Hotel Amsterdam, Autograph Collection, part of Corendon Hotels, located in the Oud-Zuid neighborhood, about a 15-minute walk from the Museumplein. The 40-room property plays up its history as a former school with stylish nods to its academic days, including carpet patterns resembling students' notes and chalkboards indicating room numbers as math equations. Rates at The College Hotel Amsterdam start at $267 or 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Related: The best hotels in Amsterdam

Venice, Italy

In a city like Venice, with finite space to accommodate large groups of tourists, when you visit can make all the difference. And spring in Venice, before the crowds and heat of summer rev up, could not be more divine.

In shoulder season, you can easily walk along the narrow passageways along the canals to see city highlights like the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and get tickets to the Campanile, St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace without having to plan months in advance. I was also able to grab a water taxi with ease and zip along the waterways with my husband like George and Amal Clooney. Plus, the weather was warm enough that my son even took a dip in the grand, heated saltwater pool at the Hotel Cipriani on a sunny April day.

This spring also marks the start of the Venice Biennale on May 9, so plan accordingly if you want to see the show.

TPG tip: For a points stay that delivers both style and scenery, the Hilton Molino Stucky, on Giudecca Island across from Piazza San Marco, is one of my favorite redemption options. The former flour mill has nearly 400 rooms, so it's easy to find availability, especially in the spring. There's a rooftop pool with views across to the piazza and a stellar buffet breakfast at Il Molino Restaurant that's gratis with Hilton Gold status or higher (you can also purchase it if you don't have status). Rates start at $296 or 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night in April.

Related: Venice cruise port: How to spend your day in Italy's most romantic city

Algarve, Portugal

Two words that will make you want to book a trip to Portugal's coastal Algarve region in the late spring: sardine season. One of Portugal's favorite dishes, sardines are grilled and served whole (they are nothing like what you see in tins). While July and August are known as the peak season, May is when they pop onto menus, and when you won't have to deal with crowded restaurants to sample them.

Even if seafood isn't your main focus (although you really should give it a try), the Algarve in spring offers picture-perfect shoulder-season weather, with daytime temperatures hovering comfortably in the mid-70s, ideal for hiking the gorgeous coastline filled with dramatic cliffs, golden beaches, and charming whitewashed towns and seaside villages before the summer crowds descend. And you can check out the ocher cliffs from the water, too, with a boat tour of the Benagil sea caves.

TPG tip: Embrace the early beach season at the W Algarve in Albufeira, where you can enjoy coastal relaxation, wide-open beaches and scenic cliff viewpoints all in relative presummer calm. The 134 guest rooms and duplex suites all have Atlantic Ocean vistas from spacious private balconies. And yes, the rooms have sardine throw pillows. Rates start at $229 or 53,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night in the spring.

Related: How my Hilton cards turned a luxury Portugal resort stay into an all-inclusive experience

Ireland

One of the sunniest spring breaks my family ever had was in ... Ireland. I know, we couldn't believe it either. But after several years of Easter vacations taking shelter from rainstorms in Maui, Cancun and the Caribbean, we discovered that the Irish do have luck on their side come April and May. (March might still be a bit rainy, and St. Patrick's Day celebratory crowds can drive up hotel prices.)

I'm not going to tell you you'll be sunbathing here, but rolling green fields, bright skies and temps in the high 60s greeted us everywhere from Kilkenny to Galway as we followed the coastline in a one-week loop from Dublin. (If you're a nervous driver, book a Brendan Vacations chauffeur tour as I did.) Some of our sunny, crowd-free highlights included hiking in Killarney National Park, epic views at the Cliffs of Moher and an afternoon of falconry at a real castle.

TPG tip: A stay at 800-year-old Ashford Castle truly feels like you've stepped into an Irish fairy tale. We stayed in a rounded-walled turret room, handled birds of prey at the falconry center and took a lake cruise on Lough Corrib, which borders the castle. If that's not enough, there's also horseback riding, golf and fishing, plus a spa with an indoor pool and a complimentary movie theater (don't miss "The Quiet Man," which was filmed in neighboring Cong). You can book the property through the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program, which offers perks like a $100 property credit, daily breakfast for two and potential room upgrades. Prices start at $866 per night in the spring.

Related: IHG adds 8 new hotels in the UK and Ireland

Crete, Greece

For a beach escape without peak-season prices, Crete shines in late spring. By May, the Mediterranean begins to warm up, and you'll have plenty of sun and sea, but without having to fight for a lounge chair. Plus, in spring, wildflowers blanket the countryside, and archaeological sites can be explored in temperate comfort (if you've never been to ruins, know that there's never any shade).

In April, resorts along the sun-kissed north coast start to reopen. You can split your time among beach days, hiking in Samaria Gorge, exploring charming towns like Chania and visiting the Palace of Knossos.

TPG tip: If you're looking for a spot to soak in a private infinity pool while simultaneously taking in views of the Dikti mountains, add the JW Marriott in Crete to the top of your list. The 160-room hillside resort hugs the Aegean coastline just outside Chania, and was one of TPG's most exciting hotel openings of 2025. Rates start at $303 or 61,600 Marriott Bonvoy points per night in the spring.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

If you've pictured yourself walking along the stone walls of Dubrovnik's UNESCO-inscribed Old City or slowly strolling its cobblestone plaza, you're going to want to visit in the shoulder season. Come summer, that walk slows to a shuffle as cruise ships and day-trippers descend on the gorgeously preserved medieval city. I spent a full week here in the "off" season, and was able to dip into the sea comfortably, dine under tree boughs in outdoor cafes, take the cable car up the mountain for views out over the Adriatic and sip a beer at the buza bars (literally, holes in the walls of the old city) all without crowds (an unheard-of feat in the summer months).

Other highlights I highly recommend: sailing around the harbor on an outing to Korcula, where Marco Polo may (or may not have, depending on who you talk to) been born, and wine tasting around the outskirts of the city. All are delightful in the spring sunshine.

TPG tip: The Hotel Excelsior is Croatia's equivalent of the Plaza Hotel. This elegant, iconic property has hosted everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Elizabeth Taylor. You can't beat the location right on the water's edge, just a five-minute walk from town (even if you're not staying here, be sure to make a dinner reservation at one of the three restaurants for truly excellent sea-view dining). Hotel Excelsior is also part of the Mr & Mrs Smith collection, allowing you to book a stay with World of Hyatt points. Rates start at $445 or 35,250 World of Hyatt points per night in April.

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